Mistelle

For years, drinking in Double Bay was synonymous with long-time pubs The Sheaf and The Oak. Both are fine, but not exactly intimate. Then in 2016 came Mistelle, a French-inspired wine bar that matches the suburb’s upmarket aesthetic.

Owner Alicia Wadsworth is a local and wanted somewhere to go after work for a glass of wine or nice piece of cheese, to have a good conversation with a friend. Or on a date. She's a wine enthusiast with a diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust – hence the bar’s name. Mistelle is actually a type of wine made in France, whereby unfermented grape juice is mixed with the spirit local to each region.

The bar’s design concept is Parisian bistro meets New York. The interiors include European mosaic tiles and seats covered in dusky teal velvet. The long brass bar was installed at Wadsworth’s insistence – she loves watching bartenders work when she eats out. Here, you can too.

The modern French menu is designed to share. Double-baked gruyere soufflé with crab, bisque, and caviar is the signature dish. There’s also seafood paella with spicy chorizo; and steak tartare with quail egg yolk and cornichons, capers and parsley. Make sure to finish with a affogato - Mistelle's version uses Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat, rather than a liqueur.